


Alpha Tango

by supereviltwin



Category: The Hobbit RPF
Genre: Aidan is a cabbie, Aidan's call sign is Alpha Tango, Alternate Universe, Dean O'Gorman and Aidan kiss sometimes it doesn't mean anything, I love Luke really I promise!!, M/M, Richard needs a driver
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-04-01 14:00:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4022503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supereviltwin/pseuds/supereviltwin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aidan is asked to cover a fare to Heathrow after another local cab firm double-books. And then he gets the same fare again, and again. And the guy is so perfect that Aidan finds it impossible not to fall for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alpha Tango

**Author's Note:**

> Took a break from writing something much longer, and then a week later I had this! Second foray into this fandom, comments welcomed :)

Aidan got to work at exactly six in the morning, thirty minutes after crawling out of bed, shouting at his house-mate Adam to get up, and devouring a slice of toast between his house and the car. Always before the car. He had a strict no-eating policy in there, because he liked to keep it immaculate. It was about the only thing in his life that _was_. He'd only just set foot in the door when Steve, his boss, called him through.

"What're you on today, Turner?" he asked, one hand holding onto a greasy bacon bun while the other tapped at a computer keyboard.

"School run then on the rank. Why?"

"A1's double-booked one of their airport regulars so we're covering the job. I want you to do it and Ken can cover the school run."

"Why me?" Aidan didn't really _do_ suit and tie jobs on a Monday morning. He liked the school run. The kids were little shits, but a couple of the dads were kind of hot.

"You've got a way with people, you'll be able to talk him into coming over and using us full time. You know what Ken's like. He'll say something cunty and we'll never hear from the bloke again. Plus he's one of your lot."

"What, Irish?"

"No, you know. Your way inclined."

"He's gay, you mean?" Aidan asked, pulling a face.

"Exactly why we can't let Ken do it. The man's a bigoted prick. Look, this guy's a businessman, he uses A1 at least twice a week for these airport trips, sometimes more."

"Must be loaded."

"Definitely loaded. Lives in a detached barn conversion in Bridge, postcode's there," Steve said, handing a sheet of paper over and tapping the corner of it. "So just be your usual, charming self and make sure you give him our card. And go home and get changed first. You can't turn up in jeans. Is your car clean?"

"Always boss."

"Pick up's at seven, Heathrow Terminal 5 by ten."

Three hours for a two hour run, Aidan thought. That wasn't too bad, even taking rush hour traffic into account. Plus Terminal 5 was more out of the way than the others. Should be easy enough.

 

#

 

Adam looked blearily up at him from the sofa when he went back in. He was halfway through a bowl of cereal and was watching CBeebies, and Aidan just shook his head and threw his jacket over the back of the chair.

"Did they finally fire you for flirting with all the customers?" Adam asked.

"Fuck off. I've got to get changed, suit and tie, the works. Steve gave me an airport job because, and I quote, 'he's one of your lot'."

Adam scowled at him. "Steve's a bit of a cock, isn't he?"

"Steve's a _lot_ of a cock, but he's asked me to take the job and maybe it's good tips so why not?"

"You should eat something more than a slice of toast before you go then."

"I'll grab a Happy Meal after I've dropped him off. Promise, Mum."

Aidan gave his shoes a quick polish once he was re-dressed, then tugged them on. When Adam wolf-whistled him out of the door his only response was to wave his middle finger in the air. 

 

#

 

Aidan talked to himself in the car a lot when he was alone. He had to, for sanity's sake. Most of the time his customers were surly housewives, or stressed out office workers or, first thing in the mornings, those screaming kids that Ken would now be dealing with. Conversation with them generally left him feeling slightly fraught about his own life, so when the car was empty it was nice just to turn the radio on and people-watch.

"Oh, this is nice," he was saying now, as he made his way up the sprawling driveway towards the house. Detached was an understatement. "This is _very_ nice." He was glad he'd taken the gaudy roof-light off before setting off from home. He'd left it on the kitchen table, something he'd no doubt get bitched at about by Adam later on in the day. Whatever. Adam always found something to whine about, so he might as well give him a day off from looking too hard for it.

He pulled the car to a stop near the front door, gravel crunching under the tyres. That was a satisfying sound, he thought, as he ducked down to get a proper look at the place. Honking the horn wouldn't cut it, so Aidan shut off the engine and got out, ready to knock on the door. It opened before he even reached it and he only just managed to stop himself from saying or doing something embarrassing when he caught a look at the guy.

"Mr Armitage?"

"Richard's inside. You're not the regular guy, so who the hell are you?" He was American, Aidan realised. Pretty rude, too. Suddenly a lot less attractive.

Another voice came from further inside the house. "Tom, don't. I told you, they had to send someone else."

"Sorry, must have forgotten with all the other things you think you tell me. You'd better come in, he's not ready."

Aidan didn't really want to, but Tom was turning and heading down the hallway already, so he didn't have a lot of choice. He followed him to the kitchen, glancing around the huge room at everything. Adam would love this, he thought. It was a proper country style kitchen that looked like it had cost a fortune, complete with an Aga stove and wood-burner. Aidan turned as someone spoke behind him and again found himself caught off-guard. He'd thought the American was good-looking, but Mr Armitage - _Richard_ \- was something else entirely. Even the blue three-piece suit wasn't covering up the fact that this man was rocking a pretty hot body, and Aidan really needed to stop staring at his eyes right about now.

"Sorry?" he said, because he hadn't registered at all what he'd been asked.

"Would you like a coffee before we go?"

Aidan blinked, then shook his head slowly. "I'm fine, thanks." One deep breath. Yeah, he was just _brilliant_. "Do you have any luggage?"

Tom snorted from somewhere nearby and Aidan didn't miss the look that passed over Richard's features. "Um. Just one case. It's only a short trip. Will you be doing the return journey as well?"

"Well, I think you're still booked with A1, but we can fit you in if you'd rather have the same car both ways." He didn't say driver on purpose, didn't want to give the American even more to be a twat about. "They _did_ double-book you. Seems to say something when they want you covered rather than the other job." He was pushing his luck a little bit, he knew, but Richard nodded anyway.

"Yes, well. I can give you the details of the return on the way there. Tom, love, can you call A1 and tell them to cancel the other one?"

"Sure thing, _love_."

Aidan cleared his throat at Tom's icy tone. "I'll..um. Get this in the car." He picked up the case and quickly retreated, although not fast enough to miss the raised voices in the kitchen. He shut the boot just as Richard emerged from the house, and quickly opened the back door of the car, standing aside to let him by. Richard got in and Aidan shut the door again, then slid into the driver's seat.

It was quiet for the first few minutes, as Aidan made his way back down the drive and turned onto the main road through the village.

"Would you like the radio on?" he asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"I don't mind," Richard answered. He was quiet for a couple of beats, then he sighed. "I'm sorry about that. Back at the house. He's usually fine with me going away, but lately things have been..well.."

"Hey, you don't have to explain it to me. He probably just misses you."

Richard shook his head, met Aidan's eyes in the rear-view mirror. "Somehow I doubt it. Not now."

He didn't elaborate and Aidan didn't ask. Instead he flicked the radio on, tuned it to the least offensive station he could think of, and set the volume relatively low. It was okay for a little while, but then the adverts started and he turned it down even more, complaining under his breath about commercial radio stations and how they could even call themselves radio stations when they barely played music. He was almost startled when he heard a quiet laugh from the back-seat. He looked into the mirror and found Richard watching him.

"Sorry. It's just ridiculous, you get more adverts than songs these days."

"I can't say I listen to the radio much any more, so I'm not in a position to judge."

"You prefer TV?"

"I just don't get the time. For either, if I'm honest."

"What is it you do, if you don't mind me asking? My boss tells me you go away quite a lot, must be nice to travel so much."

"I suppose it would be if I weren't working the whole time. I run my own company and we have offices in Europe and the States. That's where I met Tom. My partner. He thinks I could do most of this over the phone now, but I prefer face to face. I like meeting people."

"Me too. That's why I became a cab driver."

"Is it long hours?"

Aidan shrugged. "It's not so bad. Weekends are probably the worst. Twelve hours or more at a time, although we get an hour for dinner. And weekends are when you get all the drunks. I don't do Sunday nights any more, though. I'm usually up early for the school run."

"And this morning you got me instead."

"Believe me, you're preferable to those little sh...angels." Nearly, he thought. He'd nearly sworn. But Richard seemed amused by his restraint.

"You don't like kids, then?"

"Oh, most are all right. Those ones are spoiled brats. I probably shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay. I won't tell your boss. One thing Tom and I never agreed on was kids."

"You can't stand them and he thinks they're awesome?" Aidan asked. 

"More like the other way around." There was a pause, and then Richard leaned forward, his hand on the headrest of the passenger seat. "I never got your name. I'm Richard."

"Aidan."

"Aidan, you don't seem bothered by the fact that I live with another man. The other driver, the one from A1, he always seemed like he was biting his tongue."

"Why should it bother me?"

Richard made a knowing sound, and settled back in his seat again. "You're gay too," he observed. "Is that why you got the job?"

"I got the job because I'm the best driver they've got," he said. "With the cleanest car in the fleet."

"Ah."

"And because I understand the difference between what is and isn't my business. The fact that I'm gay had little to do with it."

"I'm sure it didn't." 

It was quiet for a little while, and Aidan didn't force the conversation. It was a comfortable silence, anyway, which was unusual enough. Richard dozed off for a while, and didn't wake up until they'd been on the M25 for about ten miles. He apologised, but Aidan shrugged it off.

"From the sound of it, this is the only chance you get for a real rest. I don't mind. You can sleep the rest of the way, if you want, we've not much longer if the traffic's good to us. I can wake you when we get there."

"I'll be fine. Could I ask...Is it likely that they'll send someone different to pick me up?"

Aidan bit his lip. "Am I that terrible?"

"Oh! No, I didn't...I mean, I'd rather it was you, that's all. I feel like I can relax with you. That's the first time I've ever fallen asleep as a passenger. And not at all because you're uninteresting, believe me. I just feel at ease."

"Well, I'll be sure to mention it to the boss, but I don't see why not. I lied earlier. He sent me 'cause I'm gay. So he'll probably send me again, 'cause I'll still be gay."

Richard laughed loudly at that. "Good. I'll take your mobile number before I go, that way I can let you know when I'll be back."

"Great!" Aidan said, maybe a little too enthusiastically.

 

#

 

Aidan got back to Canterbury town centre just after one, having stopped for a bite to eat on the way back. He'd dropped Richard off in plenty of time, been given a ten quid tip which he'd spent on lunch, and now he made his way to the taxi rank so he could sit with everyone else and wait for a job to come in. He wound up leant against his car, chatting to his friend Graham from 1-2-call cabs about the roadworks on the A28 and Aidan's knob of a boss, Steve.

Monday afternoons were never busy, not before the schools let out. At most they'd have a couple of old ladies going from Sainsbury's to their homes, two miles up the road, or the woman from Zealand Road, well known amongst the day drivers for being a nasty, whiny bitch. If you were at the front of the rank and you saw her coming, you'd pray for a job to come in before she could get to your car.

"Fancy a pint after?" Graham asked, as Aidan's radio blared into life.

"Yeah, I'm meant to finish at four after the school run. I'll give you a call, see if I can get Adam out of the house, too." He picked up his mic through the open window and clicked it on. "Alpha Tango, go ahead."

"I'll leave you to it," Graham said, as Aidan listened for his next pick up. "See you at six."

 

#

 

Adam was watching Pointless when Aidan got home. 

"Dinner's in the microwave," he said, without looking up.

"Cheers, Ads. You mean you've actually moved off that sofa today?"

Adam looked round at him then. "Of course I have!"

"Oh, what, to the fridge?"

"Shut up. _And_ I had to move your stupid roof-light. Stop leaving it on the kitchen table!"

"Adam, don't change the subject. You've got to get over it, man. It's been a week. How long is your job going to believe that you're sick?"

Adam's only response was to huff at him and turn back towards the TV.

"Right, well, I'm eating dinner then I'm off down the pub for a pint with Graham. You're welcome to join us."

At that, Adam looked round again. "Graham? As in 1-2-call Graham?"

"We got chatting on the rank today, you know what Monday afternoons are like. We're meeting at The Foundry." Aidan raised his voice for that last part, as he stepped through to the kitchen and opened the microwave door to see what he was having. Something with rice. Could be chilli, could be savoury mince. He had no fucking clue and Adam had been useless for days.

"I'm not going to that place. That's where he _works_ , Aidan."

"So? Maybe he isn't on shift tonight. Or maybe you go and have a great time and show him what a dick-head he's been." Aidan set the timer for two minutes and peered back round the doorway at his house-mate. "Do you want to get back together with him or something? 'Cause honestly, the guy's a complete prick. You could do a lot better than Luke fucking Evans. He might be pretty, but he needs to fucking decide if he likes sleeping with guys or doesn't."

"He seemed to like sleeping with me," Adam retorted.

"Tell me about it, I had to bloody listen to the two of you. Just come out, Adam, yeah? It's high time you stopped moping about that arsehole and found yourself a new boyfriend."

"Fine!" Adam grabbed the remote and turned the TV off, threw the control back onto the chair. He got up and made for the stairs, stamped his way up them in an obvious mood.

"You're not going to get a boyfriend acting like a five year old either, so cut it out!" Aidan didn't think Adam had heard him, but whatever. He grabbed his dinner, cursed at how hot the plate was, and then sat where Adam had been to eat. He turned the tv back on and took a mouthful. Fucking Quorn. Veggie fucking bolognese and rice. Smashing. The sooner Adam got his head out of his arse, the better.

 

#

 

They walked down to the pub together. Adam wore his usual black jeans and red jumper, while Aidan had finally shed the suit in favour of his own jeans, Doc Martens, and tight black shirt. Not that The Foundry attracted anyone that he was interested in, but he liked to look good. Even if it was just for a pint or two with Graham and Adam the misery-guts.

"Is Graham single?" Adam asked, as he pushed open the door to the bar.

"No, he's married with a gorgeous little girl. Not all of my friends are gay, you know."

"What about that Aussie one?"

"Deano's from New Zealand, and you aren't his type."

"You're not being very helpful, are you? I thought you were trying to set me up with someone tonight!"

"No, I was trying to stop you from sitting at home and eating your body-weight in Ben and Jerry's. You're not a teenage girl, Adam, you're a grown man. You _should_ be down the pub with your best mate on a Monday night, having a pint or two before going back to work in the morning. And you're going back to work tomorrow, whatever you say. I'll phone your boss myself if I have to."

"You're such a cock, Aidan."

"Whatever. I'm having a pie while we're here, I'm starving still. What do you want to drink?"

Whatever Aidan had said, he was quite pleased when he went up to the bar and saw that Luke wasn't actually working tonight. He knew that if he had been, Adam would probably have thrown a hissy fit and gone straight back home. Graham was already stood at the bar with a pint in front of him and he grinned at Aidan when he spotted him, looked over his shoulder at Adam and smiled at him, too. 

"How was the school run?" he asked.

"Ken decided to put some silly ideas in those kids' heads about me, so they were even worse than normal. I nearly pulled over and told them to walk. Little arse-holes."

Graham made a sympathetic sound. "I got stuck with Mrs Cardew. I don't know which is worse, honestly."

"Ah, Zealand Road's prize bitch. Lucky you. What did she have to whine about this time?"

"The usual. Husband, kids, the price of a taxi these days. God forbid we make a decent living, eh?"

They had one pint together and Aidan got his pie, leaving Graham and Adam to talk around him while he ate. He was just about done when Graham's phone sounded from his pocket.

"Missus," he said, after checking it. "I'd better get off home, the little one needs tucking in. Breakfast tomorrow, Aidan?"

"Sure, right after the school drop. I'm picking that guy up tomorrow afternoon, too. He only went on an overnight to Paris."

"Oh, the good-looking businessman?"

Adam perked up at that. "Good-looking? You never told me that part, Aidan. What's he like?"

"Tall, dark-haired and handsome. Right up my alley. Unfortunately he's already got a boyfriend."

"The American prick," Graham confirmed.

"He might be really nice," Aidan said. "Maybe he was just having an off day." Although from his conversation with Richard, he got the impression that the guy had been having off days for months. "I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but if he keeps being a dick to me I think I'll just convince the guy to go back to A1. However pretty his eyes are."

 

#

 

Aidan got to the airport early, parked up and paid for his ticket, and made his way into the terminal, to arrivals. Richard had messaged him to let him know the flight had been delayed leaving by about twenty minutes, so he had time for a coffee and a bite to eat before the drive back. He went to the Costa almost opposite where people were waiting for friends and family and got himself a Latte and a sandwich. A short while later there was another text from Richard to let Aidan know he'd landed, and was just waiting at passport control. As he'd only had the one bag, it had gone in the cabin with him, so Aidan knew it wouldn't be too much longer before he was through. He got rid of his rubbish and went to stand by the barrier with everyone else.

Richard was a head taller than most of those coming off the plane, and was also one of the first few through, so Aidan wasn't waiting long at all to spot him.

"Good flight?" he asked, taking Richard's case from him.

"Aside from the delay. There was a drunk refusing to get off. He was..persuaded, in the end."

"I bet you see it all, don't you? I'm parked on the ground level, by the way. Did you..do you need anything before we go?"

Richard shook his head. "I'm fine, thank you. I should call Tom once we get going, let him know I'm back okay and on the way home."

Aidan wasn't entirely convinced that Tom would care all that much, but he said nothing. Once they were out on the M25, Richard dug his phone from his pocket and Aidan tried not to listen in to the whole awkward one-sided conversation.

"I'm on my way home," was the first thing Richard said. "What? With Aidan. Yes, the Irish one. Yes, probably. Well, why not?" A longer pause this time. "Oh, for God's sake, no! Of course not! I can't believe you'd even.. _No_. Listen, I'm not having this discussion with you right now. I'll be home in a couple of hours." That was it. No goodbye, no I love you. Richard just hung up and Aidan heard the soft thump of his phone hitting the seat as he sighed loudly.

Aidan kept his mouth shut for a while. There was no way he was getting involved with that right now. A quick glance in the mirror told him that Richard was just staring out of the window anyway, and he didn't want to bug the guy by talking too much. Ten minutes later, though, he looked again and found Richard watching him. He quickly looked back to the road, feeling almost guilty, and cleared his throat.

"So...how was Paris then?"

"I didn't get to see it, really," Richard answered. "I had dinner with the clients last night, straight back to the hotel, presentation this morning and then I was back to the airport after lunch. That's another thing my other half doesn't seem to understand. He thinks this is one big holiday for me, all of this. He's always having a go at me for being tired and-" Richard stopped himself, and Aidan looked at him briefly and saw that he was slightly red. "Sorry. We barely know each other, I really shouldn't be..I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's fine. If you want to offload, I've pretty strong shoulders. And I don't gab about anything outside of the cab."

"All the same."

Aidan nodded, understanding. He left it a few minutes, then asked another question. "When _was_ the last holiday you had?"

"Oh, last year. Tom and I went to L.A. for a week."

"L.A.?" Aidan repeated, impressed. "Is that where his family is?"

"They're in Texas, actually. We went to L.A. for Pride. It was..an experience. Although I still wound up in the office, even then."

Aidan was quiet for a moment as he signalled and changed lanes. "Only Pride I've ever gone to was down in Brighton. Not exactly special, that."

"Who did you go with?"

"Ah, just my house-mate Adam and his flavour of the month. I thought I'd meet someone there, I just made more friends."

"So you don't..there isn't anyone?"

"Show me a guy who doesn't mind not going out of a weekend and maybe I'll get lucky."

"Well, I suppose so. You must get a weekend off now and again?"

"Nah, workaholic I am."

"There's more to life than work. That's what I keep getting told, at any rate."

Aidan was about to respond when his radio came to life with a traffic alert. He listened, and thought quickly, took the next exit so he could avoid what was probably going to be a long delay. Richard noticed, asked him what he was doing.

"Getting you home in time," he answered. "If we carry on we'll be stuck in traffic. This way might take about ten minutes longer, instead of an hour."

"Oh, right. Well, I trust you. If I ever drive anywhere I just rely on the Sat-nav to tell me where I am and where I'm going. Terrible, isn't it?"

Aidan shrugged, slowing for some traffic lights. "I've been a cabbie for eight years now, if I didn't know all the short-cuts round here I'd be giving it up. Heathrow's one of my favourite runs. The other guys, most of them are older, they can't be bothered with it, you know? They just want the nice, easy jobs around town, the ones that don't put them too far from their front door at day's end. I don't mind the motorway, even. They find it boring, but they just need to learn to talk to their passengers."

"I can imagine you find that easier than most," Richard said, sounding slightly amused.

"Because I'm Irish? I just don't like silence, that's all. I'm sure sometimes that people would rather I shut up and give them some peace. If you want me to shut up, you only have to say. I'm good with the radio on quiet."

"It's fine. It makes a change to do this trip with someone I feel I can talk to in return."

"Good," Aidan said, smiling. "I'm glad."

 

#

 

He dropped Richard off, got out of the car to open the boot and hand him his case, and Richard paid him the same as before - including the ten pound tip. Aidan could see Tom watching them from the front window, and he was glad he could just go rather than have to hang around and listen to them arguing again. He wondered what Richard even saw in the bloke, aside from the height and the good looks. He kept his mouth shut apart from to thank Richard, and then he closed the boot and got back into the driver's seat. He was just about to pull away when Richard tapped at his window and he quickly pressed the button to send it sliding down.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"I just forgot to tell you, the next trip will be Sunday afternoon. That won't be a problem, will it? I'm going to New York for the week."

Aidan shook his head. He didn't generally work late on Sundays, but he could make an exception. "Not a problem." He reached for his radio. "Do you want me to book it in now?"

"I'll text you everything when I've got the final timings."

"Okay. I'll see you then."

Richard offered him a small smile then seemed to steel himself before turning and heading towards the house. Aidan watched for a moment more, then grabbed his radio, told Steve he was clear, and set back off down the drive.

 

#

 

Dean was sitting next to Adam when Aidan got in that night. Aidan leaned over the back of the sofa and kissed both of them on the cheek in turn.

"Tell me Adam hasn't tried to seduce you," he said, as he flopped on the armchair opposite them.

Dean looked over at Adam and grinned. "He's not my type. We did have a _serious_ discussion about the pros and cons of dating Luke Evans."

"There aren't any pros, the man's an absolute gobshite."

"He is gorgeous, though," Adam argued.

"A gorgeous gobshite, then. A turd with a nice haircut and designer clothes is still a turd. What's for tea?"

"In the microwave. Dean made it."

Thank _Christ_ , Aidan thought. At least it wouldn't be another Quorn and rice concoction. "What're you doing here anyway?"

"I got kicked out of mine. Chloe's got her man over and I couldn't be bothered with listening to them two going at it. Can I stop here?"

"Yeah, of course you can. I can sleep on the sofa and you can have my bed. Early start tomorrow for me."

"That airport guy again?" Adam asked.

" _No_ , actually. Dropping someone at the coach station for six." Aidan got up then to go and get his dinner sorted, and Dean looked at him over the back of the sofa.

"What airport guy?"

 

#

 

Aidan had met Dean on a night out about six months ago. He'd had longer hair then, with a couple of tiny braids that Aidan couldn't resist playing with as they'd sat at the bar and shared a few drinks. Dean had lapped up the attention and, when he was ready to leave, he'd taken Aidan's hand and asked him to come home with him. They'd decided they were too drunk to have sex at that point - Aidan couldn't get it up and Dean kept falling off the bed - so they'd just gone to sleep, woken up and had breakfast, and decided to be friends. Friends who occasionally had a kiss and a cuddle, but still strictly friends.

When ten pm rolled around Dean and Adam both went up to bed. Aidan followed after about fifteen minutes of trying to get comfortable on the sofa and failing, and crawled into bed next to Dean. 

"Sorry if I wake you in the morning," he murmured, as Dean turned on to his side and looked at him.

"Don't worry about it."

"I didn't know you'd gone out with Luke as well. When was that?"

"Before I met you. I'm not proud of it. The sex was good and his accent..you know how I feel about accents. But he didn't want to hold hands in public and he didn't like me showing up at his work."

"Adam had the same issues with him. And you've met Adam properly now, you can see what he's like. He's not going to just hide behind closed doors, no matter how good the sex is."

"He's sweet," Dean said. "What time are you up tomorrow?"

"Five."

Dean groaned at that. "You're crazy, Turner."

"So I've been told. You can always go back to sleep. Adam doesn't get up for work until eight, I'm sure he'll make you some breakfast if you want some."

Dean just nodded and mumbled a good night as he pulled the cover up over his head.

 

#

 

Saturday nights were one of the busiest for Aidan, especially now, at the start of the month. Everyone had not long been paid so they still had money in the bank and could afford to go for nights out. He worked until four in the morning, an hour and a half after most of the clubs had kicked out, taking the stragglers home. He made good tips on those kinds of nights. 

He let himself into the house as quietly as possible, got a drink, and went straight to bed. His alarm was set for noon, as he was picking Richard up at one-thirty and wanted time for a shower and a shave. 

Aidan woke half an hour before the alarm was due anyway, more out of habit than anything else. Adam had apparently brought someone home last night because he could hear them in Adam's room, giggling in his bed. He was pleased for his friend, really, and he hoped whoever the guy was would treat him better than Luke had. He got up and went into the hall, knocked softly on Adam's door.

"I'm going in the shower," he said. "Be about twenty minutes. You okay?" He heard a quiet discussion then Adam told him it was fine. They'd probably cram some more sex in while he was in there, he supposed. At least the noise of the shower would drown them out.

Aidan got dressed in his only suit, the shirt he'd washed and ironed yesterday underneath it. If he was going to be doing this job regularly, he thought, he should probably buy another suit. This one would have to do for now, though. He ate a bowl of cereal, left Adam a note to get more milk, and then fished his car keys out of the dish by the door where he'd blearily dropped them earlier that day. He had half an hour before he really needed to set off, so he took the car to a nearby garage and gave it a wash and a quick vacuum inside. Then he filled the tank up and set off.

The drive to Richard's was a quiet one. Aidan felt strangely nervous about seeing him again, which was ridiculous, and he told himself to stop being an idiot. Reminded himself that the guy was in a relationship and that however unhappy it might be, Aidan wasn't going to be that guy. Richard probably wasn't even interested in Aidan that way, anyway. He obviously had a type and Aidan wasn't tall enough or hot enough. He was often described as cute, cheeky and adorable, but he couldn't remember the last time someone had called him _hot_.

When he got there, the door opened before he could even get out of the car. Richard was there with his case and Tom was there too, one arm around Richard's waist, pulling him back. Aidan glanced away as the pair of them shared a long kiss on the doorstep, but didn't miss the look Tom gave him when he turned back. He ignored it, and got out of the car to get Richard's cases in the boot. Two this time, since it was a much longer trip. Richard got in the back of the car while Aidan shut the boot, and he closed the door behind him too.

Tom watched them until they turned on a bend in the drive and the house went out of sight.

"So, New York then?" Aidan asked, after a few minutes. Richard seemed startled out of his thoughts by the question, and cleared his throat with a soft noise.

"Yes, just until next weekend. That's where the main office has just moved to, so I'm going over to see how it went. To help finish the set up."

"What _is_ your business, exactly? If that's not too nosey of me."

Richard smiled at him in the mirror. "I could bore you with the long-winded company history, or I could just say it's logistics and leave it at that."

"Logistics to me always seemed like such a non-word, you know? Like it's not a real thing. Just something people say when they don't want to explain how they have a shed-load of cash and a nice house in the countryside."

Richard laughed at that, at least. "Well, perhaps. To put it in simpler terms it's..movement, I suppose."

"Of what?"

"Just about anything."

"So really, I could say I work in logistics. I'm moving people from A to B, after all."

"Hmm."

"Shame it isn't as lucrative as what you do."

"But you enjoy it, don't you?"

Aidan nodded, a wide smile on his face. "Oh, yeah, I love it. For every seven-year-old Damian you pick up, there's a sweet old gentleman who will tell you stories that you just won't hear anywhere else. I love the older passengers for that. They've really _lived_ , and they love to talk. My boss stopped sending me for all of them after a while, though."

"Why's that?"

"Honestly? I'd be listening to them so intently that I'd miss a turn and the drive would end up taking twice as long."

"I'd have thought he'd have liked that, your boss. You could charge them more then."

"Ah, no. I'd never put the meter on with those fellas, either. Another reason he stopped asking me to pick them up."

"Oh dear."

"If money wasn't important...I think I'd probably let people pay me in stories. I'd love that, actually. I know I talk a lot, I know I probably bore the pants off people sometimes, but I do love to listen as well. It's like having a second hand experience, almost as good, sometimes better. Like it's made richer just by how people describe it, you know?" He shut up then, because Richard was looking at him so strangely that he felt self-conscious for the first time since they'd met. "Sorry, have I-"

"Don't apologise, please. I just don't think I've ever met someone like you. In fact, I think you're the exact opposite of every one of my friends."

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not. Does that make me your enemy?"

Richard shook his head. "Not at all. It's a good thing to be different. Your attitude is something else."

"I can still be an arsehole, though," Aidan said, then quickly apologised for his language. Richard waved it off, said he'd heard worse.

"I live with an American and believe me, he knows how to curse."

"At least you've made up, though. You both seemed a lot more relaxed this time."

It might have been the wrong thing to say, Aidan thought, as Richard looked away and out of the window again. His hand came up to scrub at his chin and he sighed. "He's always like that before the longer trips," Richard said, after a few more moments of silence. "I don't doubt that he loves me, but..." He trailed off, maybe thinking he was saying too much again. Aidan didn't push this time.

He waited a little while instead, let Richard get lost in his own thoughts for a time before pulling him back out of them by asking if he'd be doing any sight-seeing in New York. They talked about that for a while, then about Aidan's more interesting fares in his eight years of taxi driving, and then some more about why Richard had settled in this part of the country.

The rest of the journey to Heathrow flew by, and Aidan was almost disappointed when he turned into the drop off point and parked the car, quickly hopping out to grab Richard's cases for him.

"I'll see you next Sunday," he said, as he set them down and pulled the handles up. "Same as usual? You'll text me everything?"

"Text won't work very well," Richard said, sounding thoughtful. "Well, I have your number. I'll call you with the details, and I'll try to be mindful of the time difference."

"Sure, okay. Have a safe flight, yeah?"

 

#

 

After a few days, Aidan kind of felt like Adam must have felt all last week after breaking up with Luke, except that he and Richard weren't in any kind of relationship so it was just weird and stupid. He felt lonely, which meant that he called Dean and invited him over while Adam was out with his new boyfriend. Aidan didn't know much about the new man in Adam's life, having only met him for two minutes over a quick breakfast before work. All he knew was that he was well-spoken, had a weird name, and hated Justin Bieber with a passion. Although, to be fair, that was true of most people that Aidan knew. Not surprising really since he made it a point to _not_ be friends with the sort of people who actually liked Justin Bieber.

Dean arrived with a pack of lager in one hand and a Sainsbury's bag in the other.

"I brought dinner," he said, shaking the bag at Aidan. Dinner turned out to be two pizzas - one ham and pineapple (Bleh, thought Aidan) and one Pepperoni. Aidan stuck both in the oven and opened two of the lagers while Dean grabbed plates and sat at the tiny kitchen table. "So," he said, as Aidan sat too and slid his drink across to him. "What's up?"

"Nothin'. Just fancied the company."

"Don't bullshit me, Aidan, I'm your friend. Not an idiot."

"It's stupid, though. I'm being stupid."

Dean looked at him for a moment, eyes narrowed, then grabbed his can and took a drink from it. "Unrequited love," he guessed, as he put the beer back down.

"Ah, no, I can't call it love. I barely know the guy."

Dean waved a finger at him. "Airport guy," he said, looking triumphant when Aidan frowned at him.

"All right, Dynamo. Am I that obvious?"

"You were pretty coy when Adam was trying to find out about him the other night. What's so good about him, then? Aside from the fact that he's got a boyfriend who's kind of a dick-head?"

"That's not a good thing, Dean. He definitely deserves better. I don't know, he's just this really sweet guy with all this money, but he's actually really down to earth and easy to talk to. And gorgeous, to boot."

"But you barely know him," Dean pointed out. "For all you know the guy's boyfriend is amazing in the sack and he's into some really kinky shit or something."

"If you're just going to make fun-"

"Fine, so he isn't like that. Don't hold your breath for something to happen, though. How likely would that be? Maybe it's time you actually had a Friday night off and got out in the world, saw some night-life. There's more to this town than Airport guy and Luke-might-be-gay-who-knows-Evans."

"Ugh. Can't be bothered."

Dean rolled his eyes at that, but didn't say anything more about it. When the pizzas were ready they took them through to the living room and Dean sat between Aidan's legs on the sofa, back resting against his chest as they both ate. They half-watched a documentary about humpback whales, until Dean turned his head and pressed his lips against Aidan's. 

"Is this what you want?" he asked, voice quiet in Aidan's ear.

Aidan didn't know _what_ he wanted, but Dean's mouth against his felt nice so he wasn't about to stop him. They both knew it wouldn't go any further. It never lasted all that long anyway, and Aidan was too pre-occupied to really put much effort into it. Dean gave up after a while and just shifted position so he was leaning against Aidan's side, head tucked against his chest while Aidan's arm stroked back and forth over his shoulders.

"I'm sorry," he said, after a while. Dean looked up at him.

"It's okay. I know."

"I'm a fucking idiot."

Dean reached up and pulled Aidan's head close to his, kissed him softly. "You might just be right, Mr Turner. But it's okay, I still like you."

"I'd go nuts if I didn't have you and Adam around. You tell me what I need to hear and Adam tells me what I don't _want_ to hear and makes me listen anyway. I should stop pining after Richard and meet someone more available."

"Can't somebody else take over the job?" Dean asked, making himself comfortable again.

Aidan thought about that. They probably could, he knew. He could find some excuse not to do it. But despite what he'd said, the thought of not seeing Richard again - whatever the circumstances - was not a pleasant prospect.

"I'm the best they've got," he said. "Besides, he likes me driving him. He said so himself."

"When are you picking him up again?" Dean asked.

"Sunday. He's calling me with the details. Says texts won't work properly."

"He's got your phone number, too?" Dean sounded sleepy now, and Aidan tapped the back of his head with his hand to make him wake up a little bit. If Adam found them asleep like this, he'd never hear the end of it. 

"And I have his."

Dean lifted his head again. "Smooth. You know what you should do? Get a photo of him so the rest of us can see how gorgeous he is."

"Oh, aye, I'm sure he'll let me do that."

"Just be sneaky about it. Are you tired? I'm really tired."

"Do you want to stay, then?"

"Please. Chloe's stupid boyfriend is at ours again. I need to find a new place to live before he moves in altogether. He doesn't like me being there. Reckons I'll turn his girlfriend into a lesbian."

Aidan snorted out a laugh at that. "You're kidding me."

"She told me herself. All I can say is he must be hung as fuck, 'cause surely nobody that thick can be attractive otherwise."

 

#

 

Richard called just before Aidan was about to go out and start his Saturday night shift. He was due at the office in forty minutes, but he'd planned to stop and get a sandwich with Graham before he turned his light on, just to keep him going until whatever daft time of night he got a proper dinner. Richard seemed to want to talk, however.

"This week has been hectic," he said, when Aidan asked how his trip had gone. "I should have come out for longer, but they assure me they can cope. I know they're perfectly capable, I just like to be here. Do you know what I mean?"

"Hey, it's your company," Aidan said. "Your baby. I know exactly what you mean."

Richard made a pleased sound. "Exactly. Anyway, I've done as much as I can."

"Did you do any sightseeing while you were there? I know you said it's not a holiday, but come on, it's New York."

"I've been here before, though. Sorry, I didn't mean that to sound so... I have seen a lot of the sights. And I did fit in an evening out."

"My mates keep nagging me to go out with them here, too. I just don't like the club scene."

"Oh, neither do I. My evening was more Broadway musical than drinking until I passed out."

"Gotcha. So what time do you want me there tomorrow?"

"I should land around six in the evening. I know you don't work Sunday nights-"

"I can make an exception. It's not that late, really."

"Still. You don't have to wear a suit, if you don't want to. It can't be the most comfortable thing to drive in. I've worn one every day this week, and been surrounded by them all week too. The last thing I want to be thinking about on my way home is work."

"Are you ever _not_ thinking about it, really?" Aidan asked. He probably sounded incredibly cheeky, he thought, but Richard didn't seem to mind. "I mean, with it being your company," he explained. "Must be a lot of pressure."

"I suppose it's always there at the back of my mind, but I do have a few people I can trust to run things when I need a break."

"And when do you take a break?"

"When I know that if I don't take one, I'd end up needing more than a week off. I'd better go in a minute, actually. I've been invited to a barbecue by one of the guys that works here."

"Right, well, I'll see you tomorrow. Let me just get the flight number and everything."

Richard gave him the information he needed and then said goodbye and they hung up. Aidan let out a breath and nearly jumped out of his skin when Adam's voice said,

"So are you best mates with all your regular fares, or just that one?"

 

#

 

Aidan slept until the next afternoon and woke up to Dean sitting beside his bed, looking at him. He swore, and threw the closest thing to hand at him, which was the July issue of _Take A Break Sudoku_. It hit Dean with a limp sound and dropped to the floor.

"Nice aim," Dean said, as Aidan scrambled to sit up.

"What the fuck are you doing, Edward Cullen?"

Dean laughed. "Well, me and Adam are buddies now," he said. "Which means he's got my mobile number. He messaged me yesterday to tell me how pathetic you were being."

"Ah, that's nice," Aidan said, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Pathetic about what?"

"Don't play innocent. Your epic crush on Mr Airport Guy."

"Can you not leave me the fuck alone about it? Please, Dean, I didn't get to bed until gone five this morning."

"Romance doesn't care about how much or how little sleep you had. Did you dream about him?"

"No! I dreamt about dinosaurs. Jesus, get out of my room, I'm naked under here!"

"And? I _have_ seen it, Aidan. And you've seen mine. When's Airport Guy going to see it, that's the burning question."

"No it isn't. What time is it?"

"Just gone half three."

"Shit!" Aidan threw back the covers and launched himself from the bed, startling Dean. "I need a shower and I need food, then I need to get going." 

"Do you need me to scrub your back?" Dean called, as Aidan yanked open his bedroom door and ran to the bathroom, yelling at Adam for letting him sleep so long. "He isn't in," Dean told him, helpfully, as he followed him into the bathroom. Aidan ignored him and set the shower going, climbing in and making a multitude of noises when he found it hadn't quite heated up yet. He pulled the curtain across and grabbed the nearest bottle of shower gel to start lathering its contents over himself. 

Then he smelt it, and held the bottle to his face, staring at it through the suds dripping down from his hair. "What the _hell_?"

"What?" Dean asked, the other side of the curtain. Then he must have caught the smell of roses now coming out of the shower. "Is that Adam's?"

"God, no. Bet it's his stupid boyfriend's stuff. Ugh, I don't have time for this." Aidan rinsed the soap from his body and hair and then turned the shower off, stepping out and grabbing the towel that Dean held out for him. 

 

#

 

While Dean's suggestion of covering himself in Hugo Boss had been a valid one, he didn't think it would be a good idea to mix it with the strong smell of roses that was now sitting heavy inside the car. Aidan put his foot down a little bit on the M25, and made it into the short stay car park just after six. He hadn't been able to check his phone to see if Richard had landed yet or not, and it was the first thing he looked at. There were no texts, so Aidan hopped out of the car, grabbed his wallet from the passenger seat where he'd thrown it, and locked up before heading in to the terminal. 

Even though Richard had told him not to worry about a suit, he'd still foregone his usual attire of jeans and Doc Martens. He'd dressed in dark cargo trousers and a red v-neck t-shirt instead, red Vans trainers on his feet. He bought himself a coffee from Costa and stood by the barriers, sipping at it. He'd only had time for a banana before leaving the house and he was _starving_. But if he bought food he wouldn't have time to eat it, so it would have to wait until after he'd dropped Richard off at home.

And there he was. Aidan straightened when he saw him, and smiled when Richard spotted him in return. His grey t-shirt was rumpled over blue jeans and hiking boots, and he looked good. Tired, but good. Aidan had a feeling he wouldn't get a lot of conversation out of him tonight. As soon as he was close enough, Aidan took Richard's case from him and offered to take his hand luggage as well, although Richard hung onto it.

"I'm okay. Quite a change from the suit," he said, looking Aidan up and down. "Your hair, too."

He'd left his hair down. He usually scraped it back into a band, but after his shower he'd just let it drip dry. "I'm sorry about the smell in the car," he said, as they exited Heathrow and walked towards the car park. 

"The smell?"

"Oh! God, not like that, no. My house-mate, er..he thought it'd be funny to swap my Lynx with something a little more feminine." Aidan stopped himself. "No, that's a lie. I slept in and was in such a rush I just didn't notice. And then I didn't have time to sort it, so..that's why I smell like the Secret Garden."

"Right. It's fine. Was it a late night last night?"

Aidan nodded. "Worked until five and when I got home I was still a little wired, so I played some Call of Duty before bed."

"Well, you're young. You can cope with it."

"Come on, I'm not that much younger than you!" Aidan exclaimed, with a grin. 

"If you say so." 

They'd reached the car and Aidan unlocked it, popped the boot to get the cases stashed away. He started to open the back door, but Richard moved past him.

"Actually, I was thinking I could sit in the front with you? It'd be easier to talk, and I need to be kept awake."

"Um, sure!" Aidan shut the door again as Richard got into the passenger seat. He hurried round the back of the car and opened his own door, slid back behind the wheel. Richard had his knuckles pressed to his nose and mouth, and seemed to be fighting back a laugh.

"God, you weren't kidding."

"I think it's mostly me, now. It's trapped under my clothes. We'll have the windows open." 

Richard nodded, pushed the button for his window and sent it halfway down. He took a deep breath of air while Aidan started the engine. He got Richard chatting about his trip to start with, though about the musical and the barbecue, not the work. 

"Is it true that the city never sleeps?" he asked.

"There's always something going on," Richard told him. 

"I'd love to go one day. I've not really seen much outside of Ireland and here. Oh, the Isle of Wight once with the family. We had a week in a caravan, me and my parents. It was pretty bad. Rained six days out of seven, and the seventh day was the one where we were packing up and going home."

Richard's eyes were even sexier when he laughed, Aidan thought. 

A little while later, just after passing Oxted, Richard was telling Aidan about someone he'd met on the subway who had proceeded to give Richard his entire life story. When Aidan noticed cars slowing in front of him, he peered at the road ahead and sighed.

"What on earth?" he muttered, as Richard noticed his annoyance and stopped talking. 

"Oh," he said, as they heard sirens coming up behind them. Aidan moved as much out of the way as possible and watched the police car drive on ahead with a sinking feeling.

"Great. Looks like we're going to have a bit of a delay." The only exit coming up was for Clacket Lane services and Richard urged Aidan to pull off.

"We can watch the traffic from there, see when it starts moving again. I could do with something to eat anyway, how about you?"

The mere thought of food made Aidan's stomach growl and Richard grinned at him. "I could eat," he said.

Services were such depressing places, Aidan thought, as he parked the car and got out, stretching his legs. Especially at this time on a Sunday evening. They were never empty, but it was definitely quieter than usual, and there didn't seem to be too much open. He didn't really see Richard as the type to enjoy a McDonald's, so he headed for the Costa once they were inside. Richard insisted on paying and Aidan didn't have it in him to argue with the man.

"I'll grab a table," he said, and Richard nodded while he waited for the food to be heated up. Aidan sat and pulled his phone from his pocket, mostly to text Adam and say he'd be home a bit later than he'd thought. As he held his phone up, he glanced over at Richard and remembered what Dean had said to him. When Richard turned, tray in hand, he acted quickly and got the camera up on his phone. He snapped a quick shot just as Richard sat down, glad his phone was on silent.

"Everything okay?" Richard asked, nodding towards his phone. He nodded and shoved it back in his pocket.

"Just texting my house-mate," he said. "He's a worrier."

"I should probably call Tom. He said he'd be out tonight anyway."

"Does he worry about you, too?" Aidan asked, peeling the lid off his coffee and emptying a sachet of sugar into it.

"I suppose he must. He bought me this." Richard reached inside his t-shirt and pulled out a slim silver chain. A small St Christopher medallion hung from it. "Supposed to keep travellers safe."

Aidan just smiled and showed Richard his own, that he always had around his neck. "Present from my Mam," he said, as he tucked it back under his collar. "Less off-putting than the crucifix my Nana gave me."

They were quiet for a while, as they ate their Paninis and drank their coffees. Aidan watched people coming and going and tried not to pay too much attention to the fact that he could feel Richard's knee against his under the table. This crush was getting out of hand, he knew. He needed to have sex with someone and get it out of his system. Maybe Dean was right.

"Aidan?"

"Hmm?" he said, suddenly aware that Richard was watching him. "Sorry, miles away."

"You looked it. I said are you ready? They might have started moving traffic through by now."

"Yeah, sure. Let's go."

 

#

 

Aidan got home after eleven, following the delays caused by the accident. The house was dark, Adam apparently already in bed. He had work early the following morning as well, so it made sense. He had a quick drink of water and went up to his room, undressing and getting under the covers with a tired yawn. He took his phone with him, and opened it up to see how his sneaky picture of Richard had turned out.

It was perfect, he thought, looking down at it. The _man_ was perfect, so he wasn't surprised. He'd not shaved much while he was in New York, it looked like, because the stubble on his chin was dark and dense. There was no way he was showing this to Dean. He was keeping this for himself.

 

#

 

Over the next couple of weeks, Aidan felt like he saw more of the M25 and Heathrow than he did of his own house. He and Richard talked about all kinds of things, never running out of something to say. Richard insisted that Aidan ditch the suit for these drives altogether, and he was more than happy to. He also brought along albums on CD that he thought Aidan might like, because it was better than listening to the radio. Sometimes Aidan had to go in the house to wait and endure awkward small talk with Tom, who seemed to be turning into even more of an arse. More often than not he'd turn up and Richard would be ready and waiting for him, dropping a quick kiss on his partner's mouth before coming to the car.

He did a total of six trips between Bridge and London in those two weeks, and then Richard told him he had a chance for a break because he was having a week in the London office and wasn't going anywhere.

"Do you need a driver?" he asked, but Richard shook his head.

"I usually just get the train across," he said. "I've got a flat there with a few things, so I don't need to take anything but myself."

"Ah, right. That's cool. Well, I guess I'll see you sometime after, then."

"Definitely. I'll need to head to Milan before too long. One of the senior workers out there has a birthday coming up."

"So you're taking them a cake?" Aidan said, jokingly. But Richard nodded.

"And a few gifts. She's always worked very hard, it seems wrong to ignore that."

Aidan just stared at him, wondering how one man could be such a sweetheart and have those looks and be so easy to talk to. It seemed like too much, like there had to be something that wasn't right, something Aidan hadn't yet learned.

 

#

 

Three days after Richard had headed to London - without Tom, which surprised Aidan as he'd thought the American would tag along when the destination was so easily reachable - Aidan was working his usual Friday night shift when his boss called him on his mobile. The jobs usually just came through the radio, so he wondered what Steve wanted to say that had to be done in private.

"Boss?"

"That Bridge pick up, the airport one you do?"

His heart started to beat a little faster. "Yes?"

"Well, you know where it is. I don't want the other guys hearing and getting jealous that you're getting the good jobs again, but I've just had one come in to pick up from there and go to Whitstable. Quoted fifty quid."

Aidan knew that was a bit steep, even for Friday night, but he didn't say anything. Richard was away, he knew, so it must mean he'd be picking Tom up. Great.

"Okay. I'm on my way."

When he got there, however, his fare was waiting at the bottom of the drive. It wasn't Tom. A friend, Aidan thought, because he couldn't be family. He swung the car around and put the handbrake on while the guy got in. He was tall, blonde, kind of twink-looking. Aidan couldn't say he was particularly struck by him. He had to be Tom's friend, not Richard's. Richard surely had more taste in people than this.

"All right? Where in Whitstable are we going, mate?"

"Cromwell road, please."

"Right you are." Aidan wanted to ask him who he was, but since the guy didn't know who the fuck _Aidan_ was, he didn't bother. He just watched him settle in the backseat and watched him take his phone out and hold it in front of him as he stared at the screen. Probably playing Candy Crush, or something. Aidan rolled his eyes and turned on to the main road.

The guy's phone rang about five minutes up the road and Aidan listened to him answer, hating his voice as well. 

"Scotty! No, I've been at Tom's place. Tom, you know, American Tom. Big house, no neighbours, that one."

Aidan gritted his teeth, bit back a remark.

"Yeah, well, he's away for a week apparently." The guy giggled, a horrible sound. "You know what they say, while the cat's away the mice will play. Oh yeah, we played all right." A sharp burst of laughter. "God, you're so disgusting! He's properly dirty, though. No, they've got this hot tub out in the garden, we did it in there too."

Aidan nearly swerved off the road. _What?!_

"Like he's ever going to find out. Tom says he's away more than he's home. He's missing out, I can tell you that. All right, love, I'll see you in a little bit. Bye!" The guy hung up and went back to checking emails, or telling Facebook that he was a massive fucking tool-bag who was helping Tom cheat on Richard and...No. He wouldn't do that. And Aidan had no proof except his word, so _he_ couldn't do that, either. Tell the world who he had in the back of his cab.

He drove in silence, fuming on Richard's behalf. Angry with the entire situation. 

 

#

 

Aidan told Steve he was feeling like shit, that it was probably the Chinese food he'd had for dinner, and he went home early. Adam was still up, snogging Orlando on the sofa, but he jumped up when Aidan slammed the front door behind him.

"Aidan? What's wrong?"

"Richard!" Aidan almost shouted, standing in the hallway as Adam approached him carefully.

"Airport guy? What did he do?"

"Not..It wasn't him. That _cunt_ who he lives with, he's cheating on him!"

"Woah, woah. How do you know that?"

"Because I just had the guy in the back of my fucking car, bragging to his friend about it on the phone. I picked him up from the house, Adam!"

Orlando had stood up now, and Adam looked over at him helplessly.

"I'll get the kettle on," he said, quietly, before retreating to the kitchen.

"Do you want me to get Dean over?" Adam asked.

"No. No, it's fine. I'm just pissed off and I wanted to come home before I punched someone." Adam opened his mouth to say something and Aidan lifted his hand. "Before you start, I _know_ , all right? I _know_ I have no right to be pissed off, because it's not like I can do anything about it, or like it's any of my business. But Richard's more than just a fare now. I'd like to think he's a _friend_ , and it's pissing me off that I can't tell my friend he's being made a fool out of. I can't, because why would he believe me? I don't have anything except my say so, and Tom would just deny it, and Richard would believe him, because he's just _that_ nice. He can't see the worst in people. I mean, he obviously can't, because otherwise he wouldn't still be with that lying bastard."

Aidan stopped, and breathed again, and let Adam direct him firmly to an armchair where he sat down heavily and stared at his hands in his lap.

"I'll get you a cup of tea," Adam said. "You can drink that and then think rationally about this whole thing. Maybe it's not as bad as you think it is, maybe it's worse. But promise me you won't just go in all guns blazing next time you go there to pick him up. It won't do anybody any good."

Aidan looked up at him. "I _know_ that! Why do you think I'm so annoyed?"

"Tell Steve you don't want that job any more, then. Let him give it to someone else."

"No," Aidan said, shaking his head. "I can't."

"Then get over it. Sleep on it. It'll be different in the morning."

Aidan doubted it. He got up and went past Adam, not waiting for his cup of tea before he went upstairs to his room and shut himself inside.

 

#

 

Richard called Aidan the following Wednesday, asked him if he could do a run to Heathrow early Friday morning. He let Steve know after agreeing to it, and spent the rest of that day and the next worrying that he'd say something stupid and Richard would end up hating him. Adam was right, he knew. Keeping his mouth shut was the best policy, at least for now. 

He didn't count on getting to the house and finding that Richard was still upstairs, packing. Tom let him in, asked him if he wanted a coffee.

"No," he said, the response coming out much sharper than he'd intended.

"I feel like you don't like me very much," Tom said, opening a cupboard and getting his own mug out.

"You're perceptive, I'll give you that."

Tom looked over at him, frowning. "All right, what did I do? You barely even know me."

"Oh, I don't know. The guy from Whitstable had trouble keeping his mouth shut, so I learned a lot." Aidan couldn't help himself. He thought, for a moment, that letting Tom know that he knew what he was up to might make him say he'd stop, but Tom only paled for a second and then he was across the kitchen and in Aidan's face.

"What did you hear?"

"Enough. Did you have fun in the hot tub?"

Tom grabbed the front of his shirt and then seemed to think again, and let him go. He patted Aidan's shoulder. "I knew we should have stuck with A1. That guy knew to keep his mouth shut, for a fee. What about you, Irish?" He took a wallet from his back pocket and opened it. "How much for you to keep quiet?"

Aidan pushed the wallet away and shook his head. "You can keep your money. It isn't even yours. I guess that's why you want to stay here so bad, so don't worry. I won't say a word. It's not my place to."

Tom shrugged, pocketed the wallet again. "Fine by me."

"You should tell him, though."

"Yeah, right. You just stick to driving, how about that?" Tom went quiet then, as they both heard footsteps on the stairs. Richard came in, a small case in one hand as he was only away for a couple of nights.

"Aidan! I'm so sorry, I didn't realise you were waiting."

Aidan forced himself to smile. "It's all good. We got chatting down here anyway. Here, let me take that to the car while you say goodbye."

Richard frowned, but only for a moment and then it was gone as Aidan took the case from him and left the two of them alone. He heard Tom calling Richard 'baby' and quickened his pace.

He was only waiting in the car for a minute before Richard joined him, getting into the passenger seat as usual. Whatever he had on smelt woody and fruity and Aidan took a deep breath, trying not to be obvious about it, and felt his mouth start to water.

"Whatever that is, it smells better than my rose shower," he said, and Richard looked over at him with an amused smile.

"Spirit of the Glen," he said. "I was given a bottle over in New York, as a thank you."

"It's really nice," Aidan told him, even though he was mentally smacking himself as he said it. Changing the subject, he asked Richard what time he was back on Sunday.

"Ah, that's the thing. My flight is due in at eight. In the morning. I know you work Saturday nights, so if you don't want to do it I can arrange something else-"

"No, no. I'll do it. I can grab a couple of hours in between, come get you, then go home and spend the rest of the day in bed."

Richard brightened, while Aidan felt his cheeks darken as he thought about what he'd just said actually sounded. "Are you sure?"

"No problem. Come on, the M25 on a Sunday morning? That's going to be the highlight of my week."

 

#

 

"Don't you get bored doing the same journey nearly all the time?" Dean was over, to hang out with Aidan before he started his Saturday night shift. They were side by side on the sofa, eating Haribos from a large bowl sat on the cushions between them.

"Hard to get bored when Richard's in the car," Aidan told him. "He likes to talk. We chat about all sorts."

"I bet. What time's his flight in tomorrow?"

"Eight. Thought I'd do the night shift, drive over, and get some shut eye in the car before going in and getting him."

Dean made a sympathetic noise. "I feel tired just thinking about that."

"That's why God invented caffeine," Aidan said. "I'll be fine. He'll keep me awake with stories about Milan, it'll be great."

"You should've asked for the night off."

"I need the money. Saving up for a holiday. Talking to Richard about his travels made me realise I've not gone anywhere or done anything worth talking about, so I'm saving up and I'm going to go abroad somewhere."

"Where?"

"I don't know. Somewhere hot. Spain maybe."

"You and everyone else. There are other hot places besides Spain, Aidan."

"I can't afford other places. Spain'll do me to start with. I've never been there and I just want to go somewhere I haven't been before."

"You should tell Richard that. Maybe he'll give you a bigger tip."

 

#

 

The Saturday shift was a busy one. Aidan got a fifteen minute break at around ten, which he spent in the chip shop with Graham, grabbing a bite to eat. Graham knew all about Richard, and Aidan's huge crush on the guy, but he didn't judge him or tease him for it. He'd been in Aidan's position, he said. Before he'd married his wife, she had been with someone else and he'd just watched from the sidelines and waited for his chance.

"He doesn't show any signs of kicking Tom out, though. I think he's too nice for that. I've heard them arguing, and I know he gets frustrated with the guy. But he's not done anything about it yet, so the chances of him getting round to it are pretty slim. And then what if he does, anyway? How exactly am I supposed to make a move without just seeming like the creepiest guy ever?"

Graham squeezed his shoulder. "If it's meant to happen, it will," he said.

Aidan just shook his head and crumpled up the paper from his chips in one hand. "Thanks, that's really..useful." Graham only laughed in response.

His last booked job was at four in the morning, and when he went back to the rank he found it empty and there was nobody about. He stopped at the garage and filled up his car, bought a bottle of Sprite while he was there. Then he dropped his paperwork off with their weekend board operator, and set off for Heathrow. At that time in the morning the roads were almost clear and he made it there in an hour and a half. 

Aidan parked up in a lay-by about ten minutes drive from the airport, set his phone alarm to go off in an hour and a half. He intended to have a quick power nap now and get to the airport in time for Richard getting out. But he found it difficult to fall asleep. He often did after a Saturday shift, still hyped up from the caffeine he had to keep himself awake through the night. When his alarm went off, he was pretty sure he'd only dozed off for ten minutes.

Still, he drove the rest of the way to the airport and parked up in the short stay. At least now it shouldn't cost him half the fare just to park. He locked up and went into the terminal building, making a beeline for the Costa, as usual.

His phone buzzed at him while he was ordering his double-shot Americano, and he checked it. A message from Richard.

_FLIGHT DELAYED TWO HOURS. SO SORRY. CAN REARRANGE._

He checked the time it had been sent and saw it was over three hours ago. Richard probably thought Aidan hadn't even set off yet. It was pointless texting back, Aidan knew, because Richard should at least be in the air by now. He paid for his coffee and went and sat down, flicking through his phone until he found the flight number for that day.

Checking it against the screen opposite, he saw the arrival time had changed to 10:30. _Bollocks._

 

#

 

He'd dozed for a few minutes at a time, on and off, for about half an hour. But he was starting to shiver now, and his muscles were starting to ache. His head hurt as well, although it was so fuzzy anyway it wasn't like he could really feel that. He drank another coffee, to warm up as well as for the caffeine content, and forced himself to stand up and walk around a bit.

Finally, at just after eleven, Richard appeared behind the arrivals barrier. He was looking at his phone, and didn't spot Aidan at first, but then he looked up and saw him and smiled tiredly.

"You're here!" It sounded almost like a question, and Aidan nodded as he took Richard's case from him.

"I got your message a little too late. I drove here straight after finishing, thought I could get a nap before I picked you up."

"I'm so sorry. They had fuelling issues, we had to wait. Did you get some sleep at least?"

Aidan considered lying, but he knew he probably looked like shit anyway, so he shook his head. "Not really."

"Christ, Aidan. I can't ask you to drive all that way back right now."

"Ah, I'll be fine."

"No. No, I don't want you to exhaust yourself. Not for me." Richard stopped for a minute, and looked at his phone again with a thoughtful expression. "My flat," he said.

"Sorry?"

"I've got the flat over near Kew Gardens. About twenty minutes away. It's better than two hours, isn't it? Why don't we go there, you can get some sleep in a proper bed, and then we can head back to Canterbury later on? Even if it's just a few hours sleep, I'd feel better about you driving."

"Are you sure?" Aidan asked. "I don't mind driving now. I'm caffeinated up to the eyeballs anyway."

"If you can get us to the flat in one piece, then that caffeine will have done its job."

He considered it. A real bed right now sounded like bliss, and if he was honest with himself it wasn't particularly safe for him to drive all the way back home feeling like he did. He'd have to drop Richard off and then get home himself and that just sounded like way too much at the moment. "Twenty minutes?"

Richard nodded. "Probably not even that far. We can get the tube there, leave the car here until later. I'll cover the parking."

God, that sounded even better, thought Aidan. He nodded in agreement. "Okay."

"I'll text Tom, tell him I'll be delayed getting home."

Aidan somehow didn't think Tom would mind.

 

#

 

He got a few looks on the tube, but tried to ignore it. He knew he looked a mess - his clothes were wrinkled and he probably stank seeing as he hadn't showered since yesterday afternoon, and had worked all night since then. Richard either didn't notice or was too polite to mention it, and Aidan plumped for the latter of those two options since he could smell _himself_ and there was no way Richard couldn't. 

Aidan got up when Richard did, and they exited the train. He had no clue where he was, or where they were going. He just followed Richard and put all of his concentration into putting one foot in front of the other without running into anyone. 

The street that Richard's flat was on was very quiet and very green, not that Aidan noticed much. The flat itself was tidy, but still felt lived in, which surprised Aidan. Richard had said he didn't spend that much time here, that often. That it was purely for when he had to spend time at the London office. But it still felt homely. 

"Nice place, this," Aidan said, standing in the doorway of the kitchen as Richard went in and opened a couple of windows.

"The bedroom's through there," Richard told him. "Next door down on the left. The bed's made. I always change it before I leave."

"You're sure you don't mind? Don't you want some sleep as well?"

Richard shook his head. "I got a good night's sleep last night, and napped on the 'plane. I feel fine. But you don't look it."

Aidan nodded. "I feel rank, though."

"There's an en-suite shower room. Feel free. I'll just watch some TV, quietly."

"Thank you for this."

"Don't mention it."

He left Richard in the kitchen and made his way to where he'd been directed. He shut the bedroom door behind him and went into the bathroom, found there were clean towels neatly folded and bottles of shampoo and shower gel lined up on the shelf below the mirror. Calvin Klein, not Lynx. He felt almost guilty taking one of the bottles into the shower with him, his clothes in a heap on the floor just outside it. But it made him feel better, the clean smell of it. He wrapped a towel around his waist when he was done and stood in front of the sink.

There was only one toothbrush in the holder so he used his finger to rub toothpaste into his teeth, and then gargled some mouthwash as well. After all that he finally felt a little more human. 

He dried off, pulled his underwear back on, and went straight to the bed. He had a brief thought that this was _Richard's_ bed, that he was the last person that had slept in here, but then his tiredness won out and in moments he was fast asleep.

 

#

 

The room was dim when he woke up. He blinked a few times, and looked over at the clock beside the bed. The bright red numbers told him it was already five in the afternoon and he swore. He almost fell out of bed in his haste to get up, but stopped dead when he found that his jeans had been neatly folded on top of the chest of drawers, and that his shirt had been washed, dried and ironed.

A glance at the window told him that the blinds had been closed slightly, too. He hadn't touched them when he'd come in, too tired to even notice how sunny the room was.

He jumped, turning as there was a knock at the bedroom door.

"Aidan?"

"Uh, yeah! I'm, god, I'm sorry, I slept for ages." He pulled his jeans quickly up his legs, was just zipping them up when Richard carefully pushed the door open and looked around it.

"Um. I'm making some dinner. We'll eat and then leave. How are you feeling?"

"Much better. Did you wash my shirt?"

Richard actually blushed. "I thought you'd prefer something clean after your shower. I came in to check on you, you were dead to the world. So I let you sleep."

"Right. Thank you."

"Anyway, dinner."

"You're serious?"

"It's nothing special. Southern fried chicken and pitta bread. I didn't have much else in the freezer."

"That..it sounds great, actually. I'm starving. I've not eaten since last night."

Richard's eyes widened at that admission. "I should have ordered something in. Last night? Really?"

Aidan shrugged. "You get used to it. Honestly, it's fine." He patted his stomach. "It's not like I couldn't stand to skip a few meals."

Richard didn't say anything to that, just shook his head and left Aidan to finish dressing.

They ate in the kitchen, in a comfortable silence. Aidan was hyper aware of how close Richard was to him again, and found himself watching the other man more and more. Richard didn't appear to notice. Aidan got the strong feeling that it was because he didn't see a reason why Aidan would _want_ to look at him so much. The man seemed so shy in some regards, so unaware of himself and the effect he had on Aidan.

He helped with the dishes, happy to stay in this space with Richard as long as he could. Tom didn't exist here. Richard had said that he'd not been here. They'd never spent time here together. Aidan was likely the only other person besides Richard who _had_ been here, and he'd slept in the guy's _bed_. The thought excited him, and comforted him and..Christ, he was pathetic. 

"Are you really okay?" Richard asked suddenly. "You're very quiet."

"Still a little bit tired, I guess," Aidan said. "But I'm honestly fine to drive. What did Tom say?"

Richard sighed at that question. "I called the home phone and he didn't answer, so I don't suppose it matters. He said he'd be out."

"Why would he go out when he knew you were due back?" Aidan asked, then shook his head at himself and looked down. "Sorry, I don't know why I said that."

"No, it's..You're right, though. But I don't mind. Sometimes it's nice to get back to an empty house. Sometimes it's better than the alternative."

Aidan wanted to ask why. He wanted to tell Richard that there were _plenty_ of better alternatives than living with someone he didn't even really love. But he kept his mouth shut.

 

#

 

They got back just before nine. Aidan parked up near the front door and saw that the house was dark. A glance over at Richard told him that his passenger wasn't surprised or pleased about that, but he pushed open his door and got out. Aidan did the same, retrieving Richard's case from the boot. He handed it to him by the door and Richard stopped with his hand in his pocket.

"Do you want to come in? Have a coffee before you go?" He looked up, eyes meeting Aidan's, and looked almost scared of what he was doing.

Aidan moved back slightly, swallowed hard. "I'd better not, y'know? I mean, if Tom comes home he won't..I should get home."

Richard exhaled, nodded. "Of course. It's late."

"Hey, thank you. For today. That was, it was really nice of you. You didn't have to do that."

"I don't know what else I would have done. Here." He took his wallet from his pocket and pulled out a handful of twenties - the fare for the job, plus his usual tip.

"Are you joking?" Aidan asked. "Don't worry about it. Not after today."

"Aidan, _no._ This is your job, I can't just not pay you."

It felt strange taking his money, but Aidan supposed he was right. Steve would not be happy if he didn't get paid, especially on such a regular run. He pocketed the cash and said thanks again.

"Right. I'll see you in a few days, no doubt."

"Definitely. I'll be off. 'Night."

"Goodnight."

 

#

 

Richard didn't get in touch again until Thursday. Aidan worked his days, spent his evenings watching TV with Adam, Orlando, and sometimes Dean. He didn't tell any of them about sleeping in Richard's bed, or Richard washing his clothes, or the awkward tension between them when he'd dropped Richard off at home. They'd either take the piss or look at him with sadness and pity, and he didn't know which was worse.

He called, rather than messaging, and it took Aidan a few rings to answer.

"Aidan, did you catch up on your sleep this week?"

Of course that was the first thing Richard asked him. Aidan honestly thought this might be easier if Richard didn't care quite so much about him and his well-being, but he apparently cared a great deal. And not just about Aidan, about everyone who did anything for him. He was realising now just how magnanimous the man was. 

"Yes," he replied. "Mostly. Do we ever truly catch up, though?"

"I suppose not. I called your boss before calling you, because I wanted to make sure you would be free. He assured me he can get the work covered for the night."

"The night? What night?"

"Tomorrow night. I'm co-hosting a charity event at Canterbury Cathedral Lodge and I'd like to have you available for the evening. It will probably be a lot of waiting around, but I have a couple of guests I've personally invited who I'd like you to drive home afterwards, and of course Tom and I will need picking up and taking home."

"I'm guessing you want me in a suit and tie this time," Aidan said.

"I'm afraid so. It's a black tie event and I know there'll be a few press there. Just local papers, that's all. But yes, suit and tie. Sorry."

"It's not a problem. I'll make sure I'm neat and tidy. I'll get the car valeted tomorrow afternoon, as well."

"Well, about that. I've actually hired a car for the evening for you. Not that yours isn't perfectly fine, it's just-"

"I get it," Aidan interrupted. "It doesn't exactly look professional with the meter and the Hackney plates on the back."

"It's a private job, so you're not going to need the meter. I've sorted everything out, anyway. The car will be dropped off here with me tomorrow morning, so just come over any time before six and we'll be ready."

"All right then."

"Excellent. I'll see you tomorrow."

 

#

 

Aidan did the school run in the afternoon and then went straight home to shower, shave and change. He'd had a haircut in his lunch break as well, so he looked pretty damned presentable by the time he was finished up and in his suit. He sat at the kitchen table to polish his shoes and Adam got home as he was pulling them on. 

"Are you taking a book to read?" Adam asked, as he opened the fridge to find something for his tea.

"I've got my Sudoku book," Aidan told him, patting the front of his jacket. "I'll be fine. I'll just people watch."

"I can't believe he's just going to have you waiting around all night. He could at least let you have a couple of hours off."

"He's paying for it so it's fine, honestly. Orlando over tonight?"

Adam nodded. "Later on. He's staying tonight again. What time will you be back?"

Aidan shrugged. "I've no idea. If it's late, I promise I'll be quiet."

Adam leaned over the back of his chair then, kissed Aidan's cheek. "I know. You always are."

 

#

 

The car was an Audi, with that year's plates, and it was black and polished to a beautiful shine. Aidan parked his own car several feet away from it, worried that he might kick up gravel from the drive and damage it somehow. He looked towards the house and saw Tom looking at him from one of the upstairs windows, although he knew Tom wouldn't be able to tell he'd been spotted since Aidan was wearing sunglasses. Tom disappeared from view anyway and Aidan got out of his car and locked it, approached the house.

Richard let him in, and ushered him through to the kitchen. 

"Can I get you a tea or a coffee?" he asked.

"I'm okay, thanks," Aidan told him, standing by the counter. Richard turned then and looked at him properly.

"You had your hair cut," he observed.

Aidan ran a hand through it rather self-consciously, noting the expression on Richard's face as he did so. Almost..disappointed. "I thought it would look a bit smarter like this," he said, feeling defensive for some reason.

"I suppose, but..Never mind. I need to go and finish getting ready. Make yourself at home. The car keys are on the table."

He nodded, but stayed put anyway while Richard left the room. He heard him going upstairs and inched closer to the door, taking the seat closest to it. He could hear them talking. Tom wasn't even attempting to be quiet about it, but Aidan could tell Richard was trying to keep his voice down.

"Him again? Are you serious?"

"Tom, please don't. He's a good driver, that's all. You should talk to him properly, I think you'd like him."

"You think I don't know why you want him here? I'm not stupid, Richard!"

"Really? Well neither am I!"

Aidan could hear them moving now, their voices getting closer to the top of the stairs.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tom was asking.

"Oh, nothing. It isn't what you clearly think it is, okay? I think he's the best driver I've ever been a passenger with, and he won't embarrass us tonight, and it's _my_ decision. Not yours!"

Tom scoffed at that. "Okay, all right. I see how it is."

Aidan turned, and he could see them now on the stairs. Richard had stopped with a hand on Tom's arm. Tom was on the step below him, and turned to look up at him.

"You don't. I shouldn't have said..Just trust me, Tom. There's nothing going on between Aidan and I. I promise you."

Tom reached up then, and pulled Richard down to kiss him. Aidan looked away then, but he could still hear them. He should have said no to tonight. He should have just said no to doing this job ever again. He felt slightly sick and went over to the door that led to the garden, pulling it open and taking a breath of fresh air. He didn't look around again until he heard them both come into the kitchen. 

Richard had his jacket and bow-tie on now, and Tom was similarly dressed.

Aidan snagged the keys and went to the car ahead of them, opened the rear door for them and shut it once they were both in. 

Being almost brand new, the car was a much smoother drive than his. He'd just made it to the end of the drive when Richard made an annoyed sound.

"I'm sorry, Aidan, can we nip back again? I've forgotten my phone. I won't be a second. Tom, have you got yours?"

"Do I need it? You're the important one tonight."

Richard made a face at him, but said nothing. He stayed quiet as Aidan swung the car around and headed back to the house. Aidan and Tom sat in complete silence while Richard ran inside the house and came back out moments later, patting his pocket with a smile.

"Got it," he said, a little breathless as he got back in. "Thanks for that."

"No problem. Is there a particular entrance we need to use tonight?"

"No, technically we're guests just like everyone else. Just follow the others in, there should be people arriving by now. The event was due to start at six."

Aidan looked at the dash. It was already a quarter past now, so by the time he got them there it would be closer to half past. He drove steadily, not too fast, and felt almost cheated that it wasn't a longer trip as he pulled up in front of the building. There were lights strung in the trees outside and people standing on the steps in evening dresses and tuxedos. It was an impressive looking place, and Aidan could hear music coming from inside, probably from a live band. 

Richard leaned forward then from the back seat, his hand on the back of Aidan's head-rest. "We're meant to be finished by eleven, although some of our guests might leave before then. I'll be giving them a small card with your name, if they don't have that then they should be going with somebody else so just tell them to find their host and ask them who they should be with."

"Okay, will do."

Tom was already getting out of the car and Richard closed his eyes briefly. He looked like he was counting to five under his breath. "Did you eat?"

Aidan turned to look at him properly then, slightly confused. "Pardon?"

"Did you eat an actual meal before you came out for us? I remember what you said on Sunday, about skipping meals. I don't think it's good for you."

"Oh, well..No, not really. I had some lunch. Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Look, I'm honestly fine. I'm used to weird meal times. I'll get something afterwards."

But Richard wouldn't accept that. "I'll ask somebody to bring you something out. I'm sure they'll have a container or something they could put a meal in for you."

Aidan opened his mouth again to refuse, but thought better of it. Richard clearly wasn't going to take no for an answer, so he gave in and nodded, said a quiet thank you.

 

#

 

Aidan didn't see Richard for a few hours after that. He had a little nap first thing, ate when somebody tapped at his window and handed him a closed container with some kind of creamy curry and sticky rice in it, and then got his Sudoku book out. He was stood outside the car, leaning on the roof of it while he chewed his pen and stared at the numbers in front of him, when he heard Richard's voice coming from across the car park. Tom was there, too, and he looked only marginally less pissed off than Richard did.

"What the _hell_ is your problem?" Tom was saying. "It was a fucking joke, all right? I'm sure they realised that!"

"I don't care if they did. It wasn't funny! Why did you have to embarrass me like that?"

"Oh, I'm an embarrassment now? Christ, Richard, if you could be a bit more obvious about you and the fucking driver then I'm sure you could give me a run for my money as far as _embarrassment_ is concerned! Why the hell are you getting so far up on your high horse about a little joke?"

Aidan watched as Richard thrust something against Tom's chest and held it there until he took it and looked at it. "I know, Tom. All right? I _know_." Whatever it was, Tom started to stumble out some kind of explanation, but Richard shook his head and turned away. "I'm going home. You call yourself a cab and make sure he's got plenty of room in the boot, because I want you and all your things out of my house tonight."

Then Richard was striding across the car park, making a beeline for Aidan and the car, and Aidan quickly pocketed his book and his pen and ducked down into the car, settling behind the wheel just as Richard opened the passenger door and got in beside him.

"Are you-"

"Take me home. I'll sort a car for everyone else, just..take me home."

"Okay."

They didn't talk on the way back. Aidan could tell that Richard was silently fuming about something, that he was going over something in his head. When he pulled up outside the house and killed the engine, Richard didn't make any move to get out.

"Do you want me to go?" Aidan asked, looking over at him.

"I really don't." Richard looked over at him and Aidan knew he should move, or say something, as the other man unfastened his seatbelt, but he was rooted to the spot. Richard reached across the gap between them and curled a hand around the back of Aidan's neck, and all Aidan could do was go with it as Richard gently coaxed him to move across and kiss him. It wasn't a long kiss, there were no tongues involved, but still Aidan could feel a jolt of pleasure go through him and he didn't open his eyes until Richard pulled away from him.

"So.."

"I've been wanting to do that all week," Richard confessed, his hand still resting against Aidan's neck.

"I've been wanting you to do that since I met you," Aidan told him. "What about Tom?"

"Tom isn't..I've asked him to go. Told him, really."

"Oh."

"It's not your fault, Aidan, I promise you that." Richard's fingers tightened in the curls at the back of his head and Aidan allowed himself to be tugged forward into another kiss. This one was more demanding, more distracting, and he popped his seatbelt open so he could move properly and get a better angle.

That was the moment that the door behind him opened and Aidan was yanked out of the car, away from Richard, and thrown up against the side of it. He could hear Richard shouting from inside the car as Tom threw the first punch.

"You fucking _told_ him, didn't you? You told him so you could do _this_!" Tom cried. Aidan could taste blood in his mouth, could hear Richard getting out of the car. He heard gravel crunching under feet and then Tom's weight against him was gone. Richard and the driver of the cab Tom had taken were pulling the man away from him. Aidan stared at him, brought a shaky hand up to his mouth and winced when he touched his split lip.

Richard turned on Tom then, a hand against his chest. "You have ten minutes to get your things and get out of here or I'm calling the police. I mean it, Tom." He shoved the other man back and Tom just stared at him for a moment, then Aidan, and then shook his head and went inside the house. The cab driver was already heading back to his car, muttering 'screw this' as he went. 

Aidan looked up as Richard said his name.

"Let's get inside. I want to make sure he doesn't do anything terrible in there. I also want to make sure he leaves. And I should see to that lip."

"I can go. Adam can sort me out."

"You're not going anywhere in that state. Come on."

Richard didn't give him another chance to say anything, just turned and went inside. Aidan followed. As much as he wanted to get out of there, he hated the idea of leaving Richard alone with Tom even more. He sat down at the kitchen table and Richard went past him to one of the cupboards, opening it and taking out a first aid kit. They could hear Tom banging around upstairs, and Aidan looked up at Richard with a worried expression.

"Are you sure it's safe to have him in here?" he asked.

"I don't know. But I'll call a taxi to come and pick him up. Somebody who didn't see what just happened. Are you okay for a moment?"

Aidan nodded, watched Richard move to the phone and listened to him speak to someone and sort a ride for Tom. Then he came back and opened up the first aid kit, took out cotton balls and antiseptic.

"Well, this is going to be fun," Aidan said, just before Richard soaked the cotton wool and dabbed it gently against the cut on his lip. He sucked in a breath, closing his eyes, and Richard apologised.

"What did he mean?" he asked, after a minute. "He said you told me. Did you know he was cheating on me?"

Aidan moved his head back, and Richard stayed where he was, staring at him. Aidan couldn't lie to him. He nodded. "I picked someone up from here a few weeks ago," he said. "I wasn't sure to start with, but then he was talking on the phone in the back of the car and I _knew_. God, I wanted to say something to you. Tom offered me money to keep quiet-"

"And you took it?"

Aidan's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No! God, no of course I didn't! I wouldn't do that. I told him no and said that he should tell you himself. I didn't think it should come from me. I didn't have any real proof anyway and I didn't know if you'd believe me."

Richard sighed, and nodded. "No, you made the right choice. He really offered you money?"

"Said the other guy, the one before me, he paid him to keep quiet too." Aidan watched Richard's face, could see how upset he was by all this. "How did you find out?" he asked.

"When I came back for my phone, I picked Tom's up by mistake. He received some texts during the dinner, and I read them. They were pretty detailed. Pretty explicit."

"Oh, god. Richard, I'm so sorry. I wish I _had_ told you now."

"No, I'm glad you didn't. At least this way he couldn't deny it."

They heard Tom thumping down the stairs then, and Richard dropped the bloodied cotton wool on the table and went to the door. Aidan thought it was partly to make sure Tom went, but also partly to keep him from throwing any more punches.

"Keys," Richard said, holding his hand out as Tom got closer.

"You're seriously doing this?" Tom asked, dumping the set of keys into his outstretched palm.

"I don't want to see you again after this. Maybe your Herne Bay boy-toy can take you in, I don't really care to be honest. There'll be a car at the end of the drive in five minutes so I suggest you start walking up." Richard moved past him and opened the front door, waited there until Tom was out of sight. He shut the door and latched it, and Aidan looked back down at the table as he came back in.

"I'm sorry about all this," Richard said, sitting back down in front of Aidan.

"You said Herne Bay," Aidan said. "The guy I had in the cab lived in Whitstable."

"So there was more than one?"

Aidan nodded. Stupidly, he could feel his eyes growing hot. "Jesus, Richard."

"I should have known, shouldn't I? I should have seen it before now. I suspected, I thought something was wrong, but not this. I just wish I knew why he needed to do it, why I wasn't..good enough."

"Don't think like that, okay? It's nothing to do with you and everything to do with him. You're pretty much perfect."

Richard laughed at that. "I'm far from perfect."

"Nah, I don't think so. You're one of the kindest people I've ever met."

He let out a surprised sound then, as Richard suddenly shifted from his seat and pressed a kiss to Aidan's mouth. It should have hurt, but Aidan didn't really feel it.

"Will you stay?" Richard asked, staying crouched down in front of Aidan's chair.

"Is that a good idea?"

"Please, Aidan. I think we both want this. I wanted this on Sunday, when you brought me home."

"You wouldn't have, though. I know you wouldn't. You thought you still had Tom, then."

"I haven't loved Tom in months. And when I met you, I realised why that was. You're everything he's not and everything I need."

Aidan smiled at that. "Be honest, it's the accent, isn't it?"

That worked. Richard smiled back at him, shaking his head. "Please stay?" he asked again. 

"Okay," he agreed, looking down at Richard and slowly nodding. "Okay, I'll stay. But do me a favour?"

"Anything."

"Don't pay me for tonight. If you have to, send a cheque to my boss, but don't pay me for the driving. It'd feel wrong. And I'll stay, but I won't..I don't think I should sleep with you. Not yet. Tom's only just gone and if I leapt into bed with you right now? That'd feel even worse. And that doesn't mean I don't ever want to do that, just-"

"Not tonight. I get it," Richard said, understanding. "I should..just let me make a call."

He got up, and picked the phone up from where he'd left it. Aidan listened to him arrange another driver for the guests he had abandoned and sat patiently while he made another call. He guessed it was to the New York office, when he heard Richard apologise that he would have to cancel his scheduled trip, that he was taking a few days or so personal time. That something had happened and he needed to be at home for a little while, to recover.

When Richard was done he hung up, put the phone back, and turned to Aidan with his hand held out. 

"There's a guest room that's always made up," he said, as Aidan stood. "You can have it tonight."

"I don't feel that tired yet, really."

"But-oh," Richard groaned against Aidan's mouth as he kissed him then, his hands sliding inside Richard's jacket and holding on to his hips. There was a brief moment of hesitation by both of them, but then finally, blissfully, Richard opened his mouth up to Aidan and the kiss deepened into something more. They stayed that way for several minutes, until Aidan pulled back and looked down between them, at his hands pressed against Richard's body. 

"I know I said I wasn't tired, but..I should get to bed," he said, quietly.

"Okay," Richard agreed. "We'll talk more tomorrow."

"Of course," Aidan said, and leaned in for one last kiss.

"Opposite the top of the stairs," Richard told him, as Aidan went for the door. Richard stayed where he was, and watched him go.

 

#

 

He felt quite sore when he woke the next morning. His face ached and his lip was stinging, but he didn't really care about either. He pulled on last night's clothes, minus the tie and jacket, and went downstairs because he could hear someone down there. Richard was in the kitchen when he found him, and he had to stop in the doorway and just look for a minute. 

In dark blue jeans and a fresh white shirt, Richard was humming to himself as he took a tray of cakes from his oven. There was already a wire rack on the kitchen table, that held a small stack of cookies.

"Are you having a party?" Aidan asked, and Richard jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. He fell quiet and looked round with a smile.

"No, I just..I couldn't sleep. So I baked."

"Right. Is that just something else that you do, is it?"

"I enjoy it, yes. It's soothing. But Tom didn't like to eat them, even though it was his mother that gave me the recipes. The cookies are the best ones. Try one."

"Before breakfast?"

Richard laughed. "Why not? I thought you were used to strange meals at odd times. Go on, try one. I'll make some tea."

Aidan sat at the table, but didn't take a cookie just yet. He watched Richard turn the kettle on and fetch two mugs from the cupboard.

"Are you okay?" he asked. When Richard didn't answer, he got up again and went over to him. "Richard?"

"I'm nervous, that's all." Richard looked round at him and Aidan had to stamp down the urge to kiss him.

"Why?"

"Because..it's a long time since I asked someone to go out with me. I think the last time was when I was still at University, in fact, and that was years ago. And actually I don't think I was even that bothered if he said yes or not, but I am _kind of_ bothered about what you say."

Aidan leaned against the counter next to Richard, facing him, and grinned at him. "Is that why you made cakes? Are you trying to bribe me?"

"If they'd help me then you can have them all," Richard told him.

"I don't know if you noticed this last night," Aidan said, shifting nearer to Richard. "But I _did_ kiss you. Which must mean I like you."

Richard's mouth twitched and Aidan reached out to join their hands.

"So I suppose what I'm saying is that if you asked me to go out, I'd more than likely say yes. But if you wanted to skip the awkward dating-"

"I really don't," Richard interrupted. "I want to do all of that with you, and do it all the right way."

Aidan nodded. "Okay. So..?" He looked at Richard expectantly, and was rewarded with a brief kiss, a touch of Richard's hand to the side of his face. 

"Will you go out with me?"

 

++++END++++


End file.
